


you can see the difference

by Phoebmonster



Series: twelve and thirteen [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Found Family, it's very sweet okay, post s5, the gang go on holiday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25382911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebmonster/pseuds/Phoebmonster
Summary: It had only been two weeks after they'd dispatched the Fates when Ava got the text. Within twenty minutes, they’d parked the Waverider in a nondescript park in Vienna, and Ava was down the ramp almost as soon as it was lowered.“Ava!” They said at the same time, and she pulled her clone into a hug. When they broke apart, Ava held her by the shoulders, eyes wide.(the sequel to 'now the day bleeds (into nightfall) - Ava 13 comes back, and the legends go on holiday!)
Relationships: Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Series: twelve and thirteen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838239
Comments: 27
Kudos: 96
Collections: Ava13





	you can see the difference

**Author's Note:**

> set after s5, except sara didn't get kidnapped because denial isnt just a river in egypt!!
> 
> also as much as i want astra to stay for s6, i havent included her in this bcos i have no idea how the Dynamic would work and i kinda want the show to map it out before i do lol
> 
> tw: brief description of nightmares 
> 
> i guess you don't have to have read 'now the day bleeds (into nightfall)' to understand this, but it really would help!!

It had only been two weeks after they'd dispatched the Fates when Ava got the text. Within twenty minutes, they’d parked the Waverider in a nondescript park in Vienna, and Ava was down the ramp almost as soon as it was lowered.

“Ava!” They said at the same time, and she pulled her clone into a hug. When they broke apart, Ava held her by the shoulders, eyes wide. 

“You've dyed your hair!”

Ava 13 looked proud, smirking from behind some tendrils of pale pink hair. “Do you like it?”

“It's pink.” Ava said, still a little wide eyed, and the other Ava laughed. 

When they got on the ship, Nate greeted her clone with a bear hug, then pulled her into the kitchen to give a rundown of everything that had happened in the four months since they'd rescued the magical creatures, and introduced her to Behrad and Zari. Ava 13 then explained what she’d been up to – travelling, mostly, across America and then Europe.

Someone suggested watching a movie, and they moved into the space with the couches and TV, where Ava immediately claimed an armchair. 

“Okay, what are we watching?” Behrad asked, hand already in the huge bowl of popcorn he’d fabricated.

“Can we watch Dirty Dancing?” Ava 13 asked excitedly. “It’s my favourite film.”

“Never seen it.” Ava and Zari said at the same time, and Nate gasped.

“We have to fix that, right now!”

“It is a classic.” John said with a shrug, as Sara asked Gideon to put the film on.

Ava didn’t pay attention at first, she was too busy surveying the Legends from her vantage point on the armchair. It was only really big enough for one, but Sara never let a rule stop her, and she was practically sat in her lap. On the couch, Zari was stretched out against John, Ava 13 on the other side, and Nate and Behrad on bean bags on the floor. Mick was sat on the other armchair, beer in one hand, popcorn in his lap - Ava was a little surprised he’d stayed, but he seemed to be happy enough. 

The film was enjoyable, but it was more enjoyable to listen to Sara sleepily humming along to the songs, and watch the younger Ava as she watched it, eyes wide and focused, the same way she watched any TV, like she wanted to learn as much as she could from it. She stayed focused, even as Behrad and Nate started a not so silent war to see how much popcorn they could throw at each-other and catch in their mouths.

When the credits started to roll, they all sat there, half asleep, until someone suggested they play ‘never have I ever.’ Sara quietly explained the premise to her as they got their drinks ready, and Nate fabricated some pizza, as he was apparently endlessly hungry.

“Never have I ever … dyed my hair.” Ava 13 said, slightly cautiously, having never played before either. Everyone drank except Ava.

“Oh, we’re changing that.” Zari said, waving her hand at Ava, who frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Never have I ever gone to Hell.” John interrupted, and Ava drank, a little excited there was one she had done. She stayed relatively sober as the game went on – drinking for things she’d done in her fake memories felt dishonest, and that gave her only around a year’s worth of experiences to draw on. 

“Got a tattoo.” Mick grunted. Ava raised her eyebrows when her clone drank.

“You got a tattoo?” She asked, and Ava 13 nodded, smirking.

“Yeah – uh-” She pulled up her sleeve to reveal a delicate tattoo on her forearm, flowers formed of thin black lines, surrounded by a few stars. 

“Oh, I love it!” Zari said, and Ava 13 beamed at her.

“I mean, it’s no corgi with a mohawk.” Nate said, then launched into the story, whilst Ava 13 listened, enraptured. 

///

Ava slumped down on the bed, her face pressed in the pillow.

“They like Ava more than me.” She mumbled, turning to the side slightly to see Sara pull off her tank top.

“What?” Sara asked absent-mindedly, looking around for her pyjamas. Ava sighed, sat up, pulled Sara's pyjama top - an 'AVA-corp' one that Nate made her as a joke - from under the pillow and handed it over.

“They like Ava more than me.” Ava said with a sigh, and Sara rolled her eyes.

“No, they don't.” She said, flashing her a teasing smile before pulling the shirt over her head.

“She's so much cooler than me.” Ava muttered, not really listening. “I mean - she has pink hair, a tattoo, piercings -” She’d noticed the number of piercings in her ears earlier when watching the film – at least three, the gold glittering under the Waverider’s artificial lights.

“That doesn't make her cooler than you.” Sara said, unbuckling her belt and shimmying out of her pants, before crawling into bed next to her. “The Legend's love you. They just want to make sure Ava feels welcome on the ship.” She said, taking Ava's face in her hands and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Ava nodded, then started unbuttoning her shirt, not missing the noise Sara made when she left her side. “Should I dye my hair?” She mused, slipping the shirt over her shoulders. Sara made a noise. “What?” Ava asked, and Sara just shrugged.

“It's not really ... you, is it?”

“You think I'm too uncool to have dyed hair!” 

“No, I don't. And what's all this about being cool anyway? When have you cared about that?” Sara asked, as Ava put the last of her pyjamas on and sat back on the bed. She sighed, then turned back to her girlfriend.

“I don't want to be seen as the boss all the time.” Ava said quietly, and Sara rocked forward to kiss her. 

“The Legends don't see you that way, I promise.” Sara said, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “And you shouldn't have to change yourself just to be liked by anyone.”

“So you wouldn't like it if I dyed my hair? Or got piercings?” Ava said, smiling as Sara moved to settle herself in her lap.

One hand came up to brush her bottom lip. “I don't know ...” Sara said mischievously. “A tongue piercing could be pretty hot.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I had one. Years ago.” Sara said, and Ava raised her eyebrow.

“You did?”

“And a lip piercing. The Lazarus pit removes all your scars, so they closed up - I had to get my ears redone afterwards.” Sara said, now more focused on playing with the edges of Ava's hair.

Ava swallowed. She wasn't thinking about it, but she wasn't _not_ thinking about it -

“You're thinking about it, aren't you?”

“No.” Ava grumbled, ducking her head against Sara's shoulder, smiling at the way Sara laughed, her whole body vibrating with the sound.

///

“We need something to tell you two apart.” Behrad said absent-mindedly, as he poured out his second bowl of cereal. Breakfast on the Waverider was always a complicated affair, no matter how many people were on board, and Ava was only just able to snag a seat.

“I have pink hair!” Ava 13 said, a little indignantly, waving her fork - she’d taken Ava’s recommendation about the French toast.

“I'm also slightly taller.” Ava said, and her clone looked at her, even more indignant.

“No you're not!”

Ava opened her mouth to argue, but Behrad interrupted her.

“No, like – you have the same name. It gets confusing.”

“Not quite the same – my surname isn't Sharpe.” Ava 13 said, and elaborated when Ava raised her eyebrow. “I had Gideon fabricate me the documents I would need before I left last time, and I picked a new name. I figured it would be confusing to have two identical Ava Sharpe's running around. I'm Ava Pierce.”

“Like Sharpe!” Ava said, almost proud, and her clone grinned back at her.

“We can't use surnames, that feels weirdly formal.” Nate said, and Sara nodded.

“Mick, any ideas for a nickname?” She asked, leaning back in her chair. Mick didn't look up from where he was rummaging in the fridge.

“Hotcakes one, hotcakes two.” He grunted.

“We're not using that.” Both Ava's said at the same time. 

“It's kinda creepy when they do that.” Nate said, looking between them.

“We could use Captain?” Behrad asked, and Nate shook his head.

“Yeah, but then we'll get the Captain's mixed up.”

“We could use 12 and 13?” Ava 13 said, stirring her coffee.

“Bingo!” Nate said excitedly.

Ava swallowed. “Sounds good.” She said quietly. She caught Sara’s eye, but looked away, and finished her breakfast without another word.

"Are you okay with that?" Sara asked, as they walked down the corridor, leaving the boys to do the washing up.

"What?"

“Using 12 and 13.” Sara said, climbing the stairs to her office. Ava stopped.

“Yeah - uh - yeah, it's fine.”

“It's okay if it's not.” Sara said quietly as she moved back down to the second step, her hands moving to cradle Ava's cheeks. Ava looked up at her.

“I don't know why it's worse than having her here.” Ava said in a half whisper. “If anything's going to remind me of where I am from, it's going to be having her aboard, but it doesn't.”

“We don't have to use it.” Sara said quietly. “We'll think of something else.”

“Thank you.” Ava said, then rocked up on her tiptoes to kiss Sara.

When they broke apart, Sara was smirking.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Sara said, still smirking. 

“Don't get used to this.” Ava said pointedly, and Sara laughed.

“No, I think I will. I'm tired of standing on my tiptoes all the time.”

“Kissing you is no picnic either, I get neck cramps.” Ava grumbled, and Sara laughed, and Ava swallowed the sound with another kiss. 

///

Ava had never really seen the Legends in a lull before, as she’d been knee deep in paperwork after they defeated Mallus - she knew they’d gone to Aruba, as Sara’s bikini selfies were still saved on her phone, but she hadn’t seen how the Legends enjoyed their down time up close until now. It apparently involved lots of video games, catching up on Netflix, and whatever Zari and John got up to when they snuck off to his house in England. 

Whatever software package Rip had ordered from 2213 when he got her hadn’t included the ability to relax, so Ava found herself at the centre console, scouring the timeline for any aberrations the Fates might have left behind that they would need to go and clean up. Ava 13 kept her company, and they worked in tandem, occasionally bringing up discrepancies, but nothing was coming up beyond reports of a talking cat, and a few alien abductions that were slightly credible.

Her clone sighed. “I thought hanging with the Legends would be more exciting.” She said, closing down the screen she was looking at.

“You can go hang out with them.” Ava said, not looking up from the article she was reading. “I don’t mind, I can get this done on my own.”

“It’s fine.” Ava 13 said quietly. “Reminds me of the apartment, us hanging out.”

Ava sighed. “I had to sell the apartment.” She said, slightly sadly. She missed that place, with all her plants, and a bathroom that she didn’t have to share.

“You’re a full-time legend?” 

Ava nodded, then explained how the Bureau had fallen, and now that she wasn’t making any money anymore, the house had to go. When she finished, Ava 13 was looking at her with a curious expression.

“The Bureau’s really gone?” Ava nodded, and Ava 13 smiled softly. “Feels weird. Like the puppet strings have been cut.”

Ava hadn’t thought of it like that. “I guess so.” She said quietly.

“When I left – it felt like that.” Ava 13 hummed. “These last few months – I think I’ve tried everything the handbook said I wasn’t allowed – coffee, alcohol, food -”

Ava laughed. “Did you like it all?”

“Coffee is far too bitter.” Ava 13 said, her face scrunching at the memory. “And my first hangover was the worst. Other that that, I liked most things, apart from -”

“Seafood.” They said at the same time, and then both laughed. 

“Oh, I also tried baking – I’m terrible. My snickerdoodles tasted like sand.” Ava 13 said, and Ava nodded.

“Not enough butter. When my Mom -” She stopped. 

It was happening less and less now, that she would reference something from her childhood, but when she did, it hit her like a freight train, and she needed a few seconds to catch her breath. There was a hand on her arm and Ava 13 was looking at her, ever so gently.

“It’s okay.” Ava 13 said quietly. 

“I haven’t seen them in a year.” Ava said, the words spilling out. “I sent them an email. Just saying - I knew - and paying them what Rip owed them. They didn’t try and contact me again.” 

She didn’t mention the picture she still had of them, perched on the bookshelf in her room, behind a plant. Sara knew it was there, and never mentioned it. Ava 13 looked like she was about to say something, but Behrad appeared on the bridge, Sara not far behind.

“Anything suspicious?” Sara asked, looking at Ava curiously, but Ava swallowed and shook her head, pulling herself together. 

“Nope, we’re in the clear. Unless you want to check out a talking cat in Arizona?”

Behrad turned to Sara excitedly, but Sara held up a finger. “We don’t. Gideon, can you call everyone to the bridge?”

After everyone had arrived and Ava had gone over her findings, Sara clapped her hands together. “I guess we’re in the clear then.”

“What do you guys normally do now?” Zari asked.

“We get drunk.” Mick said, and Zari shot him a derisive look.

“You already did that when we went to the concert.” She said pointedly, and Ava blushed. She’d spent the next day so violently hungover she couldn’t get out of bed, instead she’d just lay there whilst Sara brought her water and plenty of sympathy. It hadn’t been her finest hour.

“Aruba then.” Mick grunted.

“I’ve never been.” Ava 13 said.

“Me neither.” Ava said, almost wistfully.

“We have to go!” Nate said excitedly. “You guys missed out after we defeated Mallus.”

“And it’s not like we’ve got anything better to do.” Behrad said with a shrug.

Everyone was looking at Sara, who was stood with her arms crossed. 

“I’ve never been on vacation.” Ava said quietly, and Sara smiled softly, just for her. “Please?”

“Fine.”

She turned to move towards the captain’s chair when Nate made a sound like a whip cracking. Sara turned, slowly, dangerously, and Nate skidded out of the room as fast as he could, before she’d even said a word.

“Gideon, plot a course for Aruba.” Sara said, turning back to the centre console. 

“Aren’t you gonna -” Behrad started, but Sara interrupted him.

“Revenge is better when they least expect it.” She said, eyes narrowed, and Ava tried her best to hide her laughter behind her hand.

///

Gideon had sorted everything, booking them hotel rooms and finding a secluded place to park the Waverider. They packed quickly and were now heading out to where Nate was sure the hotel was, dragging their bags behind them and listening to Zari berate John for initially only packing five pairs of underwear and a white shirt in a plastic bag, whilst he countered that he didn't need anything more. 

They hadn’t gone very far before they turned a corner, and Ava could see it - a strip of pale sand, then the sea, so blue and endless she couldn’t breathe. Ava turned to see Sara smiling at her softly.

“Is it what you imagined?”

“It’s endless.” Ava breathed. “It’s not – it’s nothing like in my memories.”

“It’s the real thing! That’s better than any memory.” Ava 13 said excitedly, then ran forward to catch up with the others. Ava hung back and turned to look at Sara.

“What?” She asked, and Ava answered with a kiss. “What’s that for?” Sara asked, smiling up at her, and Ava beamed back. 

“Thank you for doing this.”

Sara shrugged. “I forget – sometimes, you haven’t done so much. Like had a vacation.”

“I’ve never really wanted one.” Ava admitted. “I think I was programmed to love my job way too much, I never took a day off.”

“If there is anything – anything at all you want to do, we can do it.” Sara said earnestly, and Ava squeezed her hand as they started to walk again. 

“I never really thought about it.” Ava said quietly, and it was the truth. There was always some emergency, always somewhere that needed her – but now she had none of that. Just time, all to herself. “I’ll think of some things. Like a bucket list.”

“Bungy jump?” Sara asked, a cheeky smile on her face, and Ava laughed. 

“Absolutely not!”

///

They got to the hotel a little behind the others and dropped their bags off in their room. They’d left them the double room with the huge en-suite, and Ava spent ten minutes marveling at the soft white sheets and the ginormous bathtub, which Sara had promised her they’d make good use of later. They didn’t stay long – Ava could see the sea through the wide windows of their room, and all she wanted was to get closer. They claimed their spots on the beach, using Mick’s purloined wealth to pay the extortionate beach chair and umbrella fees. Everyone was relaxing, half asleep, Nate with his head buried in a book. 

“I don’t get sunburnt.” Sara insisted, as Ava held out the bottle of sunscreen.

“You’re going to burn, and then you’re going to whine tonight when I have to put the aloe on.” Ava said, and Sara crossed her arms. “Don’t pout, you know I’m right.”

“Fine.” Sara muttered, then turned so her back was to Ava. She squirmed when Ava’s hands, now covered in the cold lotion, made contact with her skin. She wiggled again when Ava reached her hips, and Ava pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“Ticklish?” She whispered in her ear, and Sara twisted round to kiss her. Ava would have liked to go further, but she remembered then that they were on a public beach, surrounded by their friends, one of whom was almost her sister. She pulled back, smiling at the little involuntary noise Sara made. “There’s time for that later.” She hummed in her ear.

“I guess I don’t want to be sunburnt for that.” Sara sighed, and Ava laughed.

“Oh, so you do get sunburnt now?”

///

They spent the whole day on the beach, only getting up occasionally to buy drinks from the bar on the beach-front, and to eat the picnic Zari and Behrad had curated from the nearby supermarket. They stayed even when it started to get dark - Ava watched as the boys tried to build and light a fire, which was going abysmally until Mick brought out the heat gun and set the whole pile of driftwood ablaze.

The fire was growing taller, sending showers of sparks into the darkening sky. 

The beach was mostly empty now, and Ava was extremely comfortable, sat on the lounge chair, Sara laying against her side and keeping her warm, laughing along with a story Behrad was telling. Nate had put his phone in a little portable speaker and the sounds of his playlist filled the air around them, joined by the gentle lapping of the inky blue sea. She was almost asleep, sun-warmed and content, when the playlist ticked over and Sara sat up.

“We have to dance!” She said excitedly, and pulled her up just when Ava realised what song was playing.

“I don't know the dance.” She said, a little embarrassed, but the feeling evaporated when she looked down. Sara's freckles had darkened in the sun, and Ava could trace them across her cheekbones, forehead, then down over her collarbones. There were the crinkles at the corner of her eyes as she smiled up at her, and her eyes had darkened in the dying light.

_Now I had the time of my life / No, I never felt like this before_

“You don't need to.” Sara said, and Ava started to dance, swaying her hips along with the music, awkward at first. Everyone else had got up to dance too, except Mick, and Ava grinned when she saw Ava 13 laughing and dancing with Nate and Zari. Behrad was singing along with the song, voice loud and off key.

_Yes, I swear it's the truth / And I owe it all to you_

Sara sang too, but it was quiet, and just for her. “I’ve had the time of my life.” She breathed, and Ava bent down to kiss her again and again, lost in the feeling of it, only breaking apart when Sara burst out laughing when Behrad’s voice cracked on the high note.

///

Ava emerged from the bathroom, drying the ends of her hair with a towel. They’d been too busy the previous night to shower, and Ava was grateful to finally wash off the sand that had somehow gotten everywhere. Sara was still sat on the bed, the sheet wrapped around her midriff.

“Have you seen Ava's Instagram?” She asked and Ava shook her head, sliding onto the bed next to her. Sara melted into her side, then held out her phone so Ava could see. “She has twelve thousand followers.”

Ava raised her eyebrows, and Sara started scrolling. The pictures were all beautiful, spanning cities across Europe - the sunset in Paris, an empty beach in southern Spain, with selfies and pictures of beautiful restaurant food peppered in between. “How the hell can she afford to do all this?” Sara asked. 

“She was the director of a government agency, that pays quite well.” Ava said, not really listening, more focused on how happy Ava 13 looked in the pictures.

“Yeah, but she was only there for two months.” Sara hummed. Ava sat up slightly, and Sara looked up at her, eyebrows furrowed when she saw Ava's expression. “What?”

“Do you remember when the Bureau went dark? And I had to move out?” She said, a little nervous, and Sara nodded. “Well, uh - most of the money in my bank account was the Bureau's, because Rip needed to make it look like the bank account of a frugal 32 year old, not someone who'd been alive a few months, so I had to give most of that back too - but - before I did, I may have transferred Ava some money.”

“How much?” Sara asked curiously.

“Ten thousand.” Ava said quietly, and Sara whistled.

“I don't think I've ever had that much money.” She said, then something seemed to dawn on her. “Wait, you gave her Bureau money? Not your own?”

“It's the government, they're not going to miss it.” Ava said quietly, and raised an eyebrow when Sara beamed at her. “What?”

“You defrauded the US Government!”

“I mean, technically -”

“Nope, you did.” Sara said, smiling mischievously. “Baby's first felon, I'm so proud.” 

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?” Sara asked, eyebrow raised. “It’s your money, you can do what you want with it.” She said, squeezing Ava’s hand, then moved to sit up and thread her other hand in Ava’s hair. “And I could never be mad about defrauding the government, that’s actually super hot.” 

Ava rolled her eyes, then moved forward to kiss her smirk away. “We should go down to breakfast.” She murmured as she pulled away, and laughed at the way Sara whined.

///

That evening, they ended up at the hotel bar, and Ava was having a rather heated discussion with Ava 13 about the latest season of the Bachelor, when she felt the presence of someone at their table.

“Woah, I think I’m seeing double.”

Ava looked up to see a man standing by the table, drink in hand, and immediately frowned. She turned to look at her counterpart, who, to her surprise, was smirking.

“I don’t think so.” She said, and Ava tried to school her expression into one that wasn’t outraged at the sight of sister apparently flirting right in front of her.

“You guys are like – sisters?” He asked, and Ava nodded.

“Twins!” Ava 13 said, her grin widening. “I’m Ava, and this is – uh – Deborah.”

Ava made an outraged noise and glared at Ava 13, who wasn’t looking at her, just smiling sweetly at the man. “That’s me. Deborah.” Ava muttered. 

“Can I buy you girls a drink?” The man asked, flashing a brilliant smile, and Ava saw her exit.

“I think I’ll get my own.” She said, a little more tersely than she’d intended, and stood up to make her way to Sara at the bar. When she got there, Sara turned to her and beamed, the sleepy, drunken smile Ava knew well.

“Baby!” She said excitedly, and then Ava knew she was really drunk, because Sara would sooner be caught dead that use a pet name in front of the team. “What’re you doing?”

“Some guy came over, he wanted to buy us drinks.” Ava said, signalling the bartender.

“And you didn’t let him? Rookie mistake, babe.” Sara said, leaning into her side as Ava ordered a white wine.

“I didn’t want him to get any ideas.” Ava said, taking a sip and slipping her hand into Sara’s back pocket, bringing her closer.

“Yeah, you’re spoken for.” Sara said, grinning, and Ava bent down to kiss her. “Can we go up to our room?” She asked, eyes dark, and Ava wanted to, she really did – 

“Ava’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.” Sara said, using that ability she had to read her mind.

Ava sighed. She could see Ava 13 and the man at the bar, and she seemed to be enjoying herself, laughing at something he was saying, but was hard not to feel protective over her. She turned back to Sara, who was still looking at her. “Okay.” Ava said quietly, and Sara beamed up at her. 

As they made their way back to the lobby, hand in hand, Ava nodded at her clone, who nodded back, a smile on her face. 

///

It was early, far too early, when Ava was awoken by familiar noises. She blinked awake and sat up, looking down at Sara as she softly cried out and twisted her hands in the bed sheets. 

They had it down to a science now. Ava flicked on the bedside lamp, then moved the covers away from Sara’s taut frame. Sara twisted, then sat up almost violently, her chest heaving.

“Sara? Love, I’m here.” Ava murmured, moving slowly to the end of the bed, moving within Sara’s eyeline. Her eyes found Sara’s, wild and unfocused. “We’re in the hotel room in Aruba. Can I touch you?” 

Sara shook her head suddenly, still breathing heavily, and Ava nodded. She knelt at the end of the bed, staying in her line of sight, her hands flat on the bed sheets to keep herself from reaching out to her. She hated seeing Sara like this; anxious and coiled tight, but she’d touched her before too soon after she’d come out of a nightmare, and that had led to Sara pinning her down on the bed with her hands at her throat. It wasn’t Sara’s fault, she was still in the dream, but she’d felt so guilty afterwards, Ava had never made that mistake again.

After a few minutes, Sara’s breathing evened out, and when she looked at Ava, there was recognition in her eyes. “You’re back?” Ava asked gently, and Sara nodded slowly. She crawled forward and Ava opened her arms, letting Sara lay her head on her chest and wrap her arms around her, as Ava rubbed her hand up and down her back, keeping a steady rhythm.

When Sara spoke, her voice was soft and gravelly. “Fuck, I’m so sorry -”

“Baby -” Ava started, but Sara interrupted her, pulling back slightly.

“We had such a good day, I don’t know why -” She said, her tone frustrated, and Ava ran her hands over her forearms.

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” She said quietly, and Sara’s eyes dropped to the bed, still frowning.

“You shouldn’t have to put up with this.” She muttered, and Ava shook her head.

“I don’t put up with anything -” Ava started, then sighed. “It’s nearly 5AM. Can we watch the sun come up on the balcony?”

Sara tilted her head, but nodded, standing up from the bed and moving to slip on her sandals, as Ava did the same. Ava reached into their suitcase, pulled out a cardigan and wrapped it around Sara’s shoulders, maneuvering it so she could put her arms through. Sara twisted herself round to look at the bedside tables.

“There’s no clock – how do you know what time it is?”

“Ava’s keep perfect time.” Ava hummed. “I thought – before – it was just a coincidence I always knew what the time was, but the handbook says it's something we can all do.” 

Sara nodded, and Ava moved to the balcony doors, where she clicked the lock and pushed the door open. She held her hand out, and Sara smiled gently, taking it. She looked adorable with her bed-mussed hair and in the baggy cardigan, and Ava smiled back. 

The balcony was colder than Ava expected, and Sara evidently felt it too – she buried her head into Ava’s chest and wrapped her arms around her. The sky was cold and dark, but over the sea, something was breaking.

“I’m sorry.” Sara said, so quietly Ava almost didn’t hear it.

“You don’t need to apologise.” Ava said, kissing the top of her head. Sara looked up, moving back slightly, and Ava moved her hands up to cup her face. “You haven’t ruined anything. You could never do that.”

Sara hummed, like she didn’t believe her, but she put her head back on her chest and turned slightly to watch as the sun rose over the sea. It wasn’t the spray of colour Ava had been hoping for, instead it transformed slowly, to a lighter grey to a pale blue, almost white, glinting off the endless sea and shining on the empty beach.

They stood there until Ava’s face was cold and her arms were a little numb, and Sara was heavy against her chest. Ava ran her hands through Sara’s hair. “Do you want to go back to sleep?” 

Sara mumbled against her chest, pulling her head back to look up at her. “What time is it?”

“5:24.” Ava said, not thinking twice, and Sara smiled.

“I’m gonna do that all the time, I hope you know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Ava hummed. “Bed?”

Sara sighed. “You don’t want to.” She was right, Ava could never fall back asleep after she’d woken up in the morning.

“I brought a book.” Ava said nonchalantly, and Sara looked up at her, eyes wide and tired, and nodded. They spent the rest of the morning in bed, Ava reading, Sara curled up next to her, sleeping soundly.

///

When they finally went down to breakfast, far later than everyone else, and were met with raised eyebrows and innuendos from John, Ava just rolled her eyes and played along, Sara squeezing her hand under the table in thanks.

The teasing was turned in a different direction when Ava 13 arrived, make up done and smiling widely, but Sara gave everyone her patented mom-slash-ex-assassin death glare, and they all shut up pretty quickly. It wasn’t long before the Legends left to go to the pool, and Ava stayed behind to keep her counterpart company whilst she ate her plate of waffles and fruit from the breakfast buffet.

“I can’t believe you, last night.” Ava hissed, then elaborated when Ava 13 looked at her with a genuinely concerned expression. “Why would you tell him that was my name?”

Ava 13 shrugged, smiling around her breakfast. “I was thinking quickly.” She said, swallowing.

“You thought he’d believe that our hypothetical parents, on seeing their beautiful twin daughters, decided to name one Ava and the other _Deborah?_ ” Ava said indignantly, and Ava 13 snorted.

“Maybe it was a family name?”

“I really hate you.” Ava said, frowning, and her clone just grinned back at her.

“Is that any way to talk to your little sister, Debs? Or do you prefer Debbie?” She said, and Ava reached over to smack her arm. “I could hardly tell him your name was Ava. That would be even weirder.”

“You could have picked any other name.” Ava grumbled, taking another sip of her coffee. There was a pause.

“I – ah – I spent the night at his.” Ava 13 said quietly, like she was revealing a secret. 

“I think everyone figured that out.” Ava replied, her smile widening as her sister groaned.

“See, this is why travelling alone is better.” She mumbled, then sighed, fiddling with her fork. “I’ve been – I mean I didn’t know what I like or who I like, so I’ve been … trying things out.” Ava 13 said, and Ava was glad she was being evasive. She wasn’t exactly prudish but talking about sex wasn’t something she was overly comfortable with. “I think – I think I’m bi, or something.” Ava 13 finished quietly.

“Oh – that’s – that’s great.” Ava said, and they shared a smile. “If you want someone to talk about it with - Sara’s bi, I’m sure she’d want to help.”

“Thanks.” Ava 13 said quietly. “Does she find it … weird? That I’m here? I was so rude, before -”

Ava interrupted her with a wave of her hand. “She knows – before, you were so new. You didn’t mean it. Besides, when I first met her, I threatened to shoot her, so you made a much better first impression.”

“Oh, you have to tell me that story right now.” Ava 13 said excitedly, and Ava did.

///

They stayed at the hotel for a week, splitting their time between the pool and the beach. Ava had dragged them to the national park for a hike on the third day, but that hadn’t lasted long, and they’d ended up portalling back to the beach when it became clear Zari’s footwear was totally inappropriate and John was going to complain the entire time. Luckily, Mick had stayed behind to hold down their claim on their spot on the beach.

The final night came far too quickly. They’d just finished up dinner when Sara had hurried the Legends to the games room to play pool, leaving the two Ava’s on the hotel balcony, enjoying the last of the evening warmth and their drinks.

“Do you ever think - if you'd met the others, if it would have been like this?” Ava 13 asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

“The others?”

“One through Eleven.” Ava 13 said, and Ava lost her breath for a second.

“That would have been different, I think. They were all me - they had my memories.”

Ava 13 just shrugged. “I guess.”

“I pulled my file - before the Bureau went dark.” Ava said quietly. “It's all in there - what each one was like, how long they lived, how they died, which ones made the memories I have. I wanted -” Ava trailed off, the emotions twisting in her gut. “I wanted to remember them. No one else will.” She said and looked over at her sister.

“I can too.” Ava 13 said quietly. “You don’t have to do it alone – not anymore.”

Ava had always thought the loneliness that came afterwards was from being heartbroken over Sara, or being away from the team, but then they’d got back together and everything had been perfect, and Ava couldn’t fathom why it was still there, at the back of her mind. Before she’d found out, she'd had old friends and great-uncles and childhood pets and excuses why she never went home for thanksgiving, but afterwards – she was untethered, out on her own. 

Not anymore. She didn’t have to be alone anymore.

“Thank you.” She said, almost crying, and Ava 13 smiled back at her.

///

The next day, they made their way back to the Waverider, and everyone made a dash for the laundry room, except Mick, who’d promised to call Lita. Ava hung back, watching as Ava 13 looked around the bridge wistfully.

“You can stay, if you want.” She said quietly, and Ava 13 looked at her. “On the Waverider, with us.”

“Did you talk to Sara about this?” She asked, and Ava shrugged.

“Co-captain privilege, I can bring on who I like.”

Her counterpart laughed, then turned to look back at her, smiling gently. “Thanks, but - this is your team. The Legends are a party that’s pretty hard to crash.” Ava opened her mouth to argue, but Ava 13 held up a finger. “Besides, there’s still so much of the world I want to see and - I want to do it on my own, if that makes sense?”

It did, and Ava nodded. “Well, if you change your mind – a spot is always open.”

Ava 13 nodded and smiled. “I should – I’ll go now. I hate goodbyes.” She said softly.

“Where are you off too now?” Ava said, and her counterpart shrugged.

“Maybe Asia, or South America.” She said. “Gideon fabricated me all of these warm weather outfits, so somewhere hot.”

“Well, keep in touch.” Ava said, swallowing her tears, and her sister walked over and drew her in for a hug, squeezing her tightly. When she stepped back, Ava reached into her pocket and opened her hand. “For if you ever change your mind.”

Ava 13 grinned at her, and took the Time Courier, sliding it onto her wrist.

///

Ava lay in her bed, waiting for Sara to be finished in the shower, absent-mindedly scrolling through Instagram. In the a few days since Ava 13 had left, she'd been trying to figure out the app - she'd managed to follow Mona, who was posting pictures from a writers retreat she was at in Hawaii, and Jax, who was always posting selfies with his adorable daughter, and a few true crime accounts.

Then, a familiar face popped up - it was a selfie Ava 13 had taken on a train: headphones on, mountains and a clear blue sky visible through the window beside her. She double tapped, then scrolled down to read the caption.

_Can't stop listening to my sister's podcast @stabcast. Took time away from insta to visit her, and it was just what I needed. Debbie, you’re the best of us <3 _

**Author's Note:**

> also when they get back, sara pranks nate by moving all of the bookmarks in his books. he's absolutely devastated. 
> 
> the title is from an ava edit on tumblr with the lines 'i wanna be more real than all the others / i wanna be more real than all the rest / i wanna be so real / you can see the difference' (which i loved so much i wrote down) - if anyone can find it pls send it to me and i'll link it in the comments!!
> 
> kudos and comments always welcome!!


End file.
